Worried I won't have food for babies when they hatch! Plz help!

[Giuseppe]

My axolotls look like they could hatch any moment, they're fully developed and wiggling about in the eggs a good amount. The problem is I have a microworm culture that was delayed in the mail and still hasn't arrived, and I've looked everywhere else for any kind of microfood I can get asap and am coming up empty.

Is there a way I can delay my babies from hatching til I've found a food source? Will fridging them help, or will that hurt them?

And once I get the microworms, is there a way to speed up their breeding?

Is there a way for me to find wild daphnia in MN in the fall?

Is there any more readily available food source I can use in the interim? We have only chain pet supply stores near

Plz help me!!

 

[Giuseppe]

Update!! 2 babies have hatched!! I crumbled up freeze dried tube worms I had on hand and place in water with a bubbler thats agitating the water a little, they appear to be small enough to fit in their mouths but I'm worried it won't stimulate a feeding response, it's very difficult to tell if they're eating but I don't think they have yet

 

[Herpin Man]

You should be able to get some brine shrimp eggs, and hatch them.

 

[Acacia]

I was in the same situation a few weeks back. For the first few days after hatching, they won't eat, as they're still absorbing their eggs yolks. After that, I'd recommend getting some brine shrimp eggs and hatching them. For hatching brine shrimp eggs, you'll need an air pump, airline tubing, a plastic bottle, aquarium salt, and brine shrimp eggs.

Even once the microworms come, I'd still get the materials you need to set up a brine shrimp hatchery- mine didn't eat microworms, and my daphnia colony crashed. BBS is reliable and the little guys love it!

Also, if you want to delay hatching/growth, move them to the first floor/basement, which has lower temps. I haven't heard of anyone fridging eggs, so I wouldn't risk it!

Good luck!

 

[MnGuy]

Where are you in Minnesota? Post on the Minnfish.com forum if you need live cultures. A local might be able to help. Good luck!